The IEA K.U. Smith Student Award was launched in 1997 through an agreement with the St. Paul Foundation, which provides overall management of the Fund. The award provides a tangible means by which the IEA can encourage the development of the discipline, foster scholarship and recognize worthy achievements. The purpose of the award is to honor a deserving student responsible for an application of or contribution to ergonomics.

The award consists of a cash amount of US $3,000. Any student enrolled in an accredited post-secondary institution (college, university, technical or vocational school) is eligible to apply for the award. All areas of ergonomics are eligible for consideration. Examples of applicable projects include an applied ergonomics project, a human performance study or analysis, a design project or product, a research project undertaken in the laboratory or field, or a theoretical/conceptual contribution to ergonomics. This study endeavor should be documented in a paper submitted to the IEA Congress.